Discrimination increases torment of Fukushima

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IT was supposed to be a lifetime highlight, but the wedding plans of a bride-to-be from Fukushima have turned into a nightmare thanks to the new post-crisis phenomenon of radiation discrimination. The woman, whose name is not yet known, had booked a photographer for her wedding this month and was looking forward to tying the knot with her partner of eight years. But her plans turned to ashes when her future mother-in-law blurted out: "What if we don't have a healthy child because of the radiation?" It scarcely mattered that she had been living in Tokyo and was no closer to the plant than the majority of Japanese - the fact she grew up in Fukushima was enough for her to be discriminated against. Although her friends were looking forward to the wedding to brighten the gloom of their post-tsunami lives, she called off her engagement, saying she could not accept such prejudice.

Her story surfaced on a blog and spread through Japanese online chat rooms, where it began to be dismissed by some as internet myth. However, The Weekend Australian has spoken to the wedding photographer who first posted the story and he has confirmed its accuracy, although he declined to provide names.Discrimination increases torment of Fukushima | The Australian